This application claims the priority of 196 29 210.7, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to an internal-combustion engine, and more particularly to an engine having a cooling circulating system, an oil lubrication system, an oil cooler connected to the cooling circulating system and an oil pan receiving the oil sump, the oil filter, the oil pump and the oil cooler being combined as a subassembly in a separable component of the internal-combustion engine.
An internal-combustion engine is referred to in German Patent Application 196 19 977.8-13, corresponding to U.S. Ser. No. 08/858,338 filed on May 19, 1997 in the name of Goetz FREIHERR VON ESEBECK et al. for INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE, in which the oil filter, the oil pump and the oil cooler are arranged as a subassembly in the oil pan accommodating the oil sump. Although this additional utilization of the oil pan permits extensive preassembling, as well as assembly simplification, in view of the special requirements of the respective engine and also the mounting conditions for this engine, differentiated requirements occur specifically in the oil pan area. This, in turn, causes multiple shapes and developments of the oil pan with a corresponding adaptation of the components integrated in the oil pan. In addition, the space conditions also do not always permit corresponding developments of the oil pan, and particularly in the case of modern engines, a very flat development of the oil pan is also desired.
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to achieve a construction which results in more extensive efficiencies.
According to the invention, this object has been achieved by providing a subassembly which forms an independent module. As the result, usage possibilities are permitted for a module on all types of different engines while the construction of the module is basically unchanged, particularly if standardized connections of the module are desired with the respective engine.
Efficiency and simplification effects are improved within the scope of the present invention in that the module containing the subassembly additionally comprises the coolant pump. As a result, simplifications and savings are also obtained in the drive(s) of the module units.
In order to, on one hand, be able to provide a construction of the oil pan which is as flat as possible and, on the other hand, to ensure the oil supply of the module also in the case of oil pans of many different configurations and, with the smallest volume of the oil sump accommodated by the oil pan, when this module is arranged separately from the oil pan and is possibly also in an unfavorable position with respect thereto, an initial oil pump is advantageously assigned to the module in the oil pump connection to the oil sump. Behind this initial oil pump, an intermediate storage device pertaining to the module is assigned to the module.
The concentration of the pumps in the module makes it possible to simplify the driving connections to the pumps, in particular, to also integrate them in the module and, in the case of the branching-off of the drive from that of the internal-combustion engine to require only one branching. However, within the scope of the invention, the module may also have an independent drive source such as, for example, an electric motor.